For Your Sake (41 page)

              “The cemetery?”

              She nodded.  “Right below Weirton.  Twenty minute ride.  If we leave now we can be back by eight – have a late dinner.”

              He gazed into her face, those beautiful amber eyes of his warm and understanding.  “Sure.  Just let me take a quick rinse.  Go put on something warm and sturdy boots.”

              “We’re going on your bike?”

              “Problem?”

              “It’s getting cold.”

              “You won’t be.” 

He gave her a quick kiss before heading towards the stairs.  “Ben?”

“Yeah?”

“I never told you this, but that’s where I was heading that night.  To the cemetery.”  There was only one
that night
in their vocabulary.  “We’re going to pass by…..”

“Just get ready, Eva.”

~~~***~~~

              The exit off Interstate 40 gave way to
that
road.  From
that
night.  It even had
that
enormous, round moon. The night a cloud of dust trailing a motorcycle – the very same one she was now riding on the back of – carrying a man her arms were wrapped tightly around.  Around the hairpin bend with the looming mountain to their right, the field on the left came into view.  Ben slowed and pulled off to the side at the base of the mountain – the very same spot where they practically collided into.

              And never lost sight of each other after that.

              He sat with the engine idling, feeling a chill which had nothing to do with the crisp night air which bit his face.  He took it.  He would absorb everything in his path to protect the woman behind him.  Hands which were clasped tight around his waist unwound and slid up to his shoulders.  “You okay?”

              He was – now.  This spot had a haunting effect on him, one he needed to expel.  He rolled forward, rounding the bend a bit until they came to a cleft in the mountain.  Killing the engine, he swung off, careful not to kick her.  Before she could ask, he pulled her off the back of the seat and into the privacy of the cleft, pushing her up against the ledge while that late November moon cast a soft glow from its angle above.  She didn’t ask questions, didn’t fight him.  She knew.  And when his mouth came down on hers, she went along.  Perhaps they both needed to purge that night and replace it with the memory of what was happening between them right now.

              She grabbed that short stub of dark-blonde hair and pulled while he tasted her, savored her, filled her essence with his own while his own hand roamed.  “I want you, Eva.  Here.  Now. Right now.”

              There wasn’t any more talk, just breathless pants, passion-filled eyes and nods of agreement.  In unison, they unfastened their jeans.  Ben pushed everything to his knees, while Eva required a little more wiggle room.  Kicking off one boot, she slid one leg of her jeans and panties off, before he anchored it to his waist.  He was inside her immediately, the franticness of the moment and the desperation of their need was all the foreplay necessary.  “
Holy fuck, Eva!”
  He bit that out like sweet relief upon entering her, feeling those silky, wet walls of hers grip him like a new leather riding glove.

             
“Ah!  Ben!  Yeah……yeah……oh my God, do it.  Feels good.  Feels so good.”

              He rhythmically pumped up and down with her backed up against the ledge, his hands bracing the sides, confident it was smooth enough to where it wasn’t digging into Eva’s back
.  “Eva….Eva…..holy shit, EVA!”

              She clamped around him both inside and out as she let out a scream against his neck just as he came.  For several moments, they just stayed that way until he felt her shivering.  He rubbed her bare leg to warm it before pulling out.  Her being on the pill was great for times like this, but a bit messy.  And he didn’t do messes well.  She squeezed her legs together while he pulled off his cut and flannel, removing his t-shirt underneath and handing it to her.

“Best we got, darlin’.  I’ll keep an emergency towel in the side compartment.”

She cleaned up then refastened her jeans.  “You plan on doing this again?”

He gave her a tender kiss, then drank in those blue eyes.  “Eva, I plan on fucking you all over West Virginia.”

~~~***~~~

             
The simple Thanksgiving dinner Eva made was successful, but it in no way compared to the dessert orgy at the Connors house.  Elle wasn’t kidding.  Janice brought practically her entire inventory, much to the appreciation of some very happy men.

              Doug and his brother were enjoying heaping slices of pumpkin pie while talking to Vic’s twenty-seven year old son, while their twenty five year old daughter along with Tanner’s ol’ lady, Kelly, plated cream puffs, brownies and mini lemon tarts.  Aero was holding two year old Louis straight out, face down, whirling him in a circle like an airplane, until the child’s father intervened.  “You make him yak all over Elle’s carpet, she’s gonna make you lick it up,” Tanner said through a mouthful of apple pie.

              The toddler was promptly put down – and protested loudly – until he saw who walked through the door.  “Balloon!  Balloon!”  Louis ran over to Eva and latched onto her legs, looking up to see if there was a helium-filled ball floating about.  “Balloon!”

              “Sorry, little man,” Eva said, kneeling down.  “No balloons today.”

              The bottom lip protruded and Eva knew what came after that.  A shrieking cry echoed through the house, which caused both Kelly and Tanner to rush over.  Once Tanner realized his child wasn’t hurt – and that it was just a pouty fit – he went back to his beer and pie.  Eva accepted a kiss hello from Kelly before being pulled her over to meet Elle’s daughter who was lining up glasses for liquors and brandy with her mother.  It seemed like a natural process – the women tending to the food, drink and children, while the men enjoyed the offerings.  It wasn’t so much a sexist thing, but more of a differentiation of the sexes – women nurture while the men protect the surroundings, even if to ‘protect’ today meant consuming anything edible.

              “So?”  Aero nudged him from behind.  “Did she pass the cooking test?”

              “She passed a while ago.  How’d you think I’d been eating all this time?”

              “Ziggy’s.”

              He hadn’t been there in several weeks and needed to see the ol’ man.  Maybe bring Eva with him.  That’d shock the shit out of everyone in there as it was Ben’s private ‘man place’ for years.  But he was in a different place right now, yet he wouldn’t forget ol’ Zig.  He needed to introduce those famous steak sandwiches to Eva, maybe take her in the bathroom for romp – expel some more memories.  “Let me guess – the boyfriend?”  Ben saw a conservatively dressed young man talking with a wide-eyed Taz.

              “Yep.  Vic already grilled him.  Future son-in-law material.  Head mechanic at Chrysler down in Summersville.  Taz is picking his brain.”

              Everyone seemed to be here, except young Wes whom his parents wouldn’t dream of him not spending a major holiday with them.  And Batso and Stash.  He missed those guys.  Long timers, around Aero’s age.  Their deaths were wrongful, but had been avenged.   Their bullet-riddled bodies were buried in their cuts while their photos had a place of honor behind the bar so each member would see them as they saluted.

              The atmosphere was different.  A little more subdued.  They still had major business on the table and an even bigger play to work for, but they’d give a hundred and twenty percent in return.  It was a different era, different players and new faces populating their world.  But he only had eyes for one.  And hers were deep, vivid blue and was wearing that damn dress which matched them – the one she had on the day she came out of Clarks.  She was holding Louis, who was instructing her on how to properly eat a brownie as he shoved it in his mouth. 

              He smiled.  He was really getting used to that.  And wanted more of it.

Chapter Twenty Four

              Two weeks passed and the Christmas rush was in full swing.  The media blitz for the
Shop Small, Save Big
event brought shoppers into Tippitt-Over-Two Plaza from southern Ohio, Pennsylvania and central West Virginia.  Every store had a sidewalk table set up for those passing by in order to entice shoppers to come in. 

`              Merrill had a full-blown coffee station outside Tippitt ‘n Sip-It, complete with ten carafes filled with regular, decaf and – yes – even flavored coffees.  In the center of the parking lot, a pavilion which Ben and Tanner practically constructed with their bare hands, housed long tables and benches they also built.  Outside the area, two cookers were sizzling with burgers, hot dogs, sausage and onions supplied by Clarks for shoppers to grab a hot, satisfying lunch and rest their legs inside the pavilion. The hair salon sold gift certificates, Lou’s got a few walk-ins wanting a quick clip before Christmas and Janice had orders piled high for holiday desserts.  A couple of people even walked out of Dell’s with new snow blowers in anticipation of the first snow fall. 

              In a Santa suit, Doug walked around ho-ho-ho-ing, passing out little Christmas trinkets Eva donated from her old holiday stock, candy canes and Hershey Kisses.  Several club girls, demurely dressed (for the sake of the children) as elves accompanied him taking photos to chronicle the event and carrying little pots of face paint and stickers to keep the children happy.

Across the way, Eva grabbed a cup of cinnamon flavored coffee from the table next door while Jen manned her own in the front of the card store.  The window display was outlined with white lights and looked gorgeous as Cyndi pulled out all stops draping it with deep burgundy and green velvet, gold and silver.  It was very Norman Rockwell as she displayed ornaments, snow globes as well as filling the new line of country-inspired gift bags with faux-wrapped gift boxes.  Candy canes and gingerbread cookies were strewn about while the entire tableau was surrounded by a miniature working train set.  Those with children loved looking at it.

The Skulls took turns with security in between their regular work schedules and club business.  Taz was leaning up against a garbage can, shoving a hot dog into his mouth as Cyndi walked back from the pavilion from her break.  She held two soda cups with straws sticking out of it, offering one to Taz who smiled a devilsh, smile which crinkled up all his piercings.  Amid the aroma of grilled food, Eva caught the whiff of cigarette smoke.  To her left, Linda Moore leaned against the exterior, taking in the scene which looked like some, big town festival.  All that was missing were rides.  She wouldn’t put it past Elle to include that next year, especially if the kick-off one was successful.  Eva joined her.  “Any visitors?”

Linda smirked, then took another drag.  “Oh, sure.  Several people came in where I foresaw a very large credit card bill in their future.”

Eva really liked this spunky, snarky lady.

“What can I say,” Linda continued, “not a big demand for palm reading certificates.  How about you?”

“Really good.  Enough to give out bonuses and take a little extra for myself.  We’re starting on the kitchen right after the new year.  Ben’s doing the counters and floor.  I’m going to paint the cabinets.  Hopefully have enough to replace one major appliance.”  She noticed the somber look on Linda’s face, then remembered it was her mother’s home she was renovating.  “Hey, would you like to stop by some time and look around?”

Linda doused her cigarette in the sand pail, then put a comforting hand on Eva’s shoulder.  “It’s your home, now.  Yours and…….his.  New beginnings.  New starts.”  She gazed across the parking lot at Cyndi and Taz, then arched a brow.  “That girl’s parents will call in an exorcist if she brings that one home.”

Cyndi was a flirting, blushing mess while Taz leaned there all cool and unaffected, but clearly interested.   Something about these men, their persona, their cuts was a draw – no matter how frightening they looked.  “She’s a big girl.  Maybe it’ll pass.”  Or…..not. 

“Heading in.  I hear Dolly Parton calling out on the CD player.  Oh, one more thing?  The turret.”

“What about it?”

Linda shrugged.   “The usual.  Just……listen to him.”

The woman was playing with her head again.  Maybe.  Eva headed back too, waving Cyndi to come back so Marie and Jen could take a break while she manned the outside table.  The weather was thankfully holding out in the fifties, the sun making appearances from behind pillows of cloud to provide intermittent warmth.  She looked across the lot and saw Aero and Vic being escorted out of Ticket Liquor with a forty-ish man.  She watched both bikers shake hands then hug the man before he departed to a waiting, luxury vehicle with blacked out windows.  Ben told her about the four Skulls charters taking over the package stores formerly run by the Santagios, knowing her biological father had something to do with it.  That man driving away was no doubt a Caprese.  That was all she knew.  All she wanted to know.

All that Ben said she ‘needed’ to know.

Speaking of which.

Her cell in the pocket of her sweater coat went off.  It was Ben. “Hi.”